"Today, the DUP deputy lord mayor will not talk to the Sinn Fein lord mayor, never mind shake his hand. So whatever lessons we need to learn about outreach, and we all need to stretch ourselves in these matters, we won't be taking any lectures from the DUP."

'Petty bigotry'

The message to be delivered to council officials has been signed by members of the DUP, Ulster Unionists, PUP and independent unionist Frank McCoubrey.

It reads: "This council is appalled that the lord mayor politicised the Duke of Edinburgh Awards presentation in City Hall on 28 November by refusing to present an award to a young member of the Armed Cadet Forces; affirms that the civic position of lord mayor is about representing and respecting everyone within this city and calls on the lord mayor to publicly apologise for his actions and the gross offence caused.

"Failure to do so immediately would render his position untenable and he should resign."

In order to avoid any unnecessary sensitivities to either party, it was arranged for the outgoing chairman of the organisation to present some of the certificates alongside meNiall O Donnghaile

In a joint statement from the DUP and UUP, Aldermen Robin Newton and David Brown said that the lord mayor had brought his office into "disrepute by his actions".

They said that "such petty bigotry has no place in modern society".

On Tuesday, Mr O Donnghaile said he would be happy to meet the cadet and her family to explain his decision. He said it was "nothing personal".

"At the last minute I was informed that one of the awards was to be presented to a representative of the Army Cadet Force," Mr O Donnghaile added.

"In order to avoid any unnecessary sensitivities to either party, it was arranged for the outgoing chairman of the organisation to present some of the certificates alongside me.